a425couple
February 13th 06, 11:07 PM
Mike > wrote:
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
> Walter E. Scholz, a retired Navy pilot who was voted "least likely to
> succeed" by his senior officers during flight training, but managed to
> earn a Silver Star, Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses
> and nine Air Medals, died of septic shock and pneumonia Dec. 27 at
> Inova Fairfax Hospital. Capt. Scholz, operating off the USS Enterprise
> during World War II, shot down four Japanese planes. He earned one of
> his Silver Stars for his part in the second Battle of the Philippine
> Sea, when he and 23 other pilots crippled a fleet of three dozen
> Japanese warships, enabling American gunboats and destroyers to move in
> and sink the fleet.
- I'm fairly familiar with WW II...the "Second Battle of the
-Philippine Sea" is more commonly called the "Battle for Leyte Gulf."
-But I'm not aware of any action where pilots (24 or any other
-number) crippled a fleet of Japanese ships that gunboats and
-destroyers cleaned up. In fact I'm not aware of gunboats
-participating at all. Could this be:
-- The Battle off Cape Engano, where -
--The Battle of Surigao Strait? No aircraft participated, but DD
- adn PT boats participated along with larger surface gun ships.
Thank you "Mike" for giving us another chance to remember
a departed hero.
Yes, Mr. Dorfman. I agree you are very familiar, and this post is
in no way meant to quibble. I at first also wondered????
But since WWII had so many strange things, with so many
different people. And often not clearly understood or documented.
I have tended to leave "as is" citations supporting honors and obituaries.
Totally unexpectedly today, while reading looking for something
else, I came upon what is probably a reference to the action
cited. It seems all is supportable from their POV at the time.
Lots of details (ex. which BB was which?) will remain 'murky'.
But, it is understandable when two ships are clearly hit and
one is afire, that it was felt helpful to the battle.
Quote from www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm
Go 3/4 down screen on right side is "Mysteries and Untold
Sagas ---" by AP Tony Tully. click
then 3/4 down is "Shell Game at Surigau----". click
(Hope this attempt to copy one paragraph is readable)
xx
The Battle of Surigao Strait
Nishimura's Third Section departed Brunei at 1510 on 22 October, setting
course eastward and slipping through the American submarine cordon
undetected. The American subs had pulled north to intercept Kurita's force,
and a gap had thus opened in Balabac Strait. This fortunate beginning was
followed by a second stroke of luck: though Nishimura's force was attacked
by aircraft from USS FRANKLIN at 0918 24 October, it was the only air
assault he suffered, as contrasted with the deluge that hit Kurita's First
Striking Force the same day. As it was, this single air attack did only
medium damage. Though flagship YAMASHIRO was narrowly missed several times,
she escaped injury. One bomb did hit the quarterdeck of battleship FUSO,
penetrating to the deck below and exploding in the wardroom. The blast
started a fire in the aviation gasoline tanks near the catapult that
destroyed all her float planes. FUSO swung out of line momentarily, out of
the wind, but the fire looked worse than it was, and Ban Masami had it
extinguished within forty-five minutes. Other than the loss of her planes,
the bomb was no impediment to FUSO's battle worthiness and she maintained
her speed. The final air damage to the force was to destroyer SHIGURE, that
lost the gun crew of No.1 gun killed by a bomb hit, but the turret remained
operable.
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
> Walter E. Scholz, a retired Navy pilot who was voted "least likely to
> succeed" by his senior officers during flight training, but managed to
> earn a Silver Star, Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses
> and nine Air Medals, died of septic shock and pneumonia Dec. 27 at
> Inova Fairfax Hospital. Capt. Scholz, operating off the USS Enterprise
> during World War II, shot down four Japanese planes. He earned one of
> his Silver Stars for his part in the second Battle of the Philippine
> Sea, when he and 23 other pilots crippled a fleet of three dozen
> Japanese warships, enabling American gunboats and destroyers to move in
> and sink the fleet.
- I'm fairly familiar with WW II...the "Second Battle of the
-Philippine Sea" is more commonly called the "Battle for Leyte Gulf."
-But I'm not aware of any action where pilots (24 or any other
-number) crippled a fleet of Japanese ships that gunboats and
-destroyers cleaned up. In fact I'm not aware of gunboats
-participating at all. Could this be:
-- The Battle off Cape Engano, where -
--The Battle of Surigao Strait? No aircraft participated, but DD
- adn PT boats participated along with larger surface gun ships.
Thank you "Mike" for giving us another chance to remember
a departed hero.
Yes, Mr. Dorfman. I agree you are very familiar, and this post is
in no way meant to quibble. I at first also wondered????
But since WWII had so many strange things, with so many
different people. And often not clearly understood or documented.
I have tended to leave "as is" citations supporting honors and obituaries.
Totally unexpectedly today, while reading looking for something
else, I came upon what is probably a reference to the action
cited. It seems all is supportable from their POV at the time.
Lots of details (ex. which BB was which?) will remain 'murky'.
But, it is understandable when two ships are clearly hit and
one is afire, that it was felt helpful to the battle.
Quote from www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm
Go 3/4 down screen on right side is "Mysteries and Untold
Sagas ---" by AP Tony Tully. click
then 3/4 down is "Shell Game at Surigau----". click
(Hope this attempt to copy one paragraph is readable)
xx
The Battle of Surigao Strait
Nishimura's Third Section departed Brunei at 1510 on 22 October, setting
course eastward and slipping through the American submarine cordon
undetected. The American subs had pulled north to intercept Kurita's force,
and a gap had thus opened in Balabac Strait. This fortunate beginning was
followed by a second stroke of luck: though Nishimura's force was attacked
by aircraft from USS FRANKLIN at 0918 24 October, it was the only air
assault he suffered, as contrasted with the deluge that hit Kurita's First
Striking Force the same day. As it was, this single air attack did only
medium damage. Though flagship YAMASHIRO was narrowly missed several times,
she escaped injury. One bomb did hit the quarterdeck of battleship FUSO,
penetrating to the deck below and exploding in the wardroom. The blast
started a fire in the aviation gasoline tanks near the catapult that
destroyed all her float planes. FUSO swung out of line momentarily, out of
the wind, but the fire looked worse than it was, and Ban Masami had it
extinguished within forty-five minutes. Other than the loss of her planes,
the bomb was no impediment to FUSO's battle worthiness and she maintained
her speed. The final air damage to the force was to destroyer SHIGURE, that
lost the gun crew of No.1 gun killed by a bomb hit, but the turret remained
operable.